Two Beds And A Coffee Machine
by EmilyHalpert
Summary: Pam ran with her sister to hide in the closet. All they can do is hope the yelling stops. Hours later, their mom came in, bruised and broken, and tells them they’re leaving.


A/N: 

No idea where this came from, it just struck me as a scene. And then I wrote it.

This is dedicated to my friend Nisha who gave me this CD so long ago.

Obviously, I don't own The Office or Two Beds And A Coffee Machine or Love You Forever. I love the first two, and the last is always tied to a Friends episode for me (oh, I don't own Friends either). They are all owned by whoever owns them, and all I know is that it isn't me. Please don't sue.

Thanks to **McGigi** for the beta and all her encouraging words.

* * *

"I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

Pam's mom read as she rocked. She could tell Pam's eyes were getting heavy, the three year old fighting to stay awake.

"Mommy?" she said wearily.

"Yes sweetie?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Claire Beesly lifted the sleepy girl out of the chair, and carried her over to the bed. "Night, my sweet," she said, kissing her goodnight. Claire closed the door to the bedroom and gave an exhausted sigh. Both girls were asleep, and she finally had a chance to relax. She entered the living room, hoping to read or watch TV before she fell asleep.

"What the hell, Claire! What is this?"

Nick was waving a sheet of paper in her face; she couldn't tell what it was. "Nick! Quiet! I just got the girls to sleep."

"No Claire. What is this? One hundred dollars for some medicine? It's just a cold!"

"Abby is sick! She needs that medicine. Please, be quiet." Claire could tell he had been drinking; he always screamed when he was drunk.

"No! You listen to me bitch. Return it. We don't have enough money for you to be spending on useless things. Just get the kid some cough syrup. She'll be fine."

Claire was fighting back tears, it'd been a long day, and she didn't want to have this argument again. "I can't. I'll work overtime tomorrow. She needs that medicine."

Nick picked up a vase and threw it at Claire. It shattered on the wall right behind her, the water soaking into the carpet. "You keep spending my hard earned money on stupid things, you little bitch. You can't just work overtime, who's going to be here to watch the brats? Who's going to make dinner?"

Pam woke up with the screams from the living room. It happened every few days. She ran into her sister's room, further down the hall, further from the screams.

"Abby? Abby?" Pam shook her sister awake. "I'm scared, Abby."

Abby heard the shattering glass. "It's okay, Pammy."

Pam ran with her sister to hide in the closet. All they can do is hope the yelling stops.

Hours later, their mom came in, bruised and broken, and tells them they're leaving. It's happened before… maybe this time it will be different.

_pick up all the broken glass  
and furniture on the floor  
been up half the night screaming  
now it's time to get away  
pack up the kids in the car_

Pam and Abby both have a plastic bag hidden under their beds for these nights – these nights where they leave, never to come back. They always come back though, a night, two nights later. They quietly left the house, sneaking out to the car.

"Mommy?" Pam asked quietly.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Is daddy okay?"

Claire didn't answer. She just buckled Pam into her car seat and sighed.

Claire drove to the interstate. Before they even merged onto the empty highway, both girls were asleep.

_and there are children to think of  
babies asleep in the back seat  
wonder how they'll ever make it  
through this living nightmare  
but the mind is an amazing thing  
full of candy dreams and new toys  
and another cheap hotel  
two beds and a coffee machine  
but there are groceries to buy  
and she knows she'll have to go home_

Claire drove north, unsure of where she'll go. Maybe she can make it to her mother's up in Pemberton. She means it this time… she can't risk the girls becoming his punching bag. Her mom warned her before she married him. She said he wouldn't change, but Claire loved him, and married him anyways. It was fine at first. But then Abby was born, and whenever she would cry, he would go out drinking. When Pam was born, a short eleven months later, the beatings started.

Claire kept driving… hoping… praying…_another lonely highway in the black of night  
there's hope in the darkness  
I know you're gonna make it_

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

um... review?


End file.
